Wisconsin governor signs bills creating charging infrastructure
Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers signed bipartisan bills Wednesday designed to jump-start creation of an electric vehicle charging network along the state’s interstate system and major highways.
The new laws free up nearly $80 million in federal construction aid and make it easier for gas stations, convenience stores, and other businesses to operate electric vehicle charging stations. Businesses and environmentalists alike backed the measures, which were cheered as a way for Wisconsin to expand its electric vehicle charging network.
The funding is designed to support Level 3 charging stations, which will allow for passenger electric vehicles to be recharged in less than an hour. Lower level chargers are designed to recharge a vehicle overnight or throughout the day.
Federal guidance calls for stations no more than 50 miles (80 kilometers) apart.
“Electric vehicle drivers in Wisconsin will soon be able to travel about 85 percent of our state highway system and never be more than 25 miles away from a charger,” Wisconsin Transportation Secretary Craig Thompson said in a statement Wednesday.
Wisconsin currently has nearly 580 publicly accessible electric vehicle charging stations. The state Department of Transportation has said it expects to use the $78.7 million in federal grants to support building 65 high-speed charging stations in key corridors using the federal funding unlocked through enactment of the new laws.
One bill Evers signed allows for the creation of an EV infrastructure program to help businesses construct charging stations over the next five years. The grants would cover up to 80% of costs; grant recipients would have to put up the remaining 20%.